


Advil and Water (Cause Goodwin Ain't No Schmuck)

by chantalis



Series: Everyone's Dating Each Other And That Went About As Well As You'd Expect [3]
Category: Chicago Med
Genre: F/M, Manstead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:27:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27666776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chantalis/pseuds/chantalis
Summary: Goodwin dealing with all the doctor dumbassery that goes hand in hand when most of your doctors and nurses are dating each other.
Relationships: Will Halstead/Natalie Manning
Series: Everyone's Dating Each Other And That Went About As Well As You'd Expect [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023022
Kudos: 5





	1. You're An Idiot Part 1

“You’re an idiot.”

“Why this time?”

“You’re lying to Natalie. Everyone knows that you are, just not what about. And I suggest you tell her before everyone else finds out first.”

“Ms. Goodwin-”

“Don’t you ‘Ms. Goodwin’ me, not only are the two of you doctors in one of the city’s most frequented and respected emergency departments where you both play crucial roles in how said emergency department functions, I consider Natalie to be a treasured friend, and you are her fiance who gives me migraines. I don’t want her to get hurt.”

“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“I’m serious, William. I don’t know what you’re keeping from Natalie, but you need to tell her.” She levelled the ginger with a ‘do as I say or else’ look before sashaying down the hall to return to her office with Dr. Halstead unable to do anything but contemplate her words.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, he told her. And now she wasn’t speaking to him. And kicked him out. So here he was, getting a sore back from Jay’s shit couch, trying to figure out what went wrong. If Goodwin hadn’t stuck her nose where it didn’t belong, I wouldn’t have told Nat, and I wouldn’t be here right now. I would be at home cuddling the love of my life with my son down the hall. 

Calling Owen his son wasn’t something that shocked him anymore. It had been a little trying at first, Owen clearly did not like him, but they bonded. Neither had been consciously aware of that for a while, but one day after a really long shift filled with blood, and crying, and death, and Will really just wanted some food loaded with butter and carbs and to go to sleep. But Natalie had caught a double, and Helen had plans to go on a cruise. So once Will had gotten to Nat’s place (now their home) he was left alone with Owen by an exuberant Helen. At first, Owen threw things, and cried, and pouted. Will was close to tears, why did Owen hate him so much? So Will grabbed the backpack Nat kept stocked with everything Owen could need on a day out, a red-faced Owen, and got in his car. Truthfully he hadn’t been sure where he was going at first. Just somewhere kid-friendly where Owen could spend his energy in a way that didn’t involve hitting him with blocks. They ended up at the Kohl’s Children’s Museum. A fussy Owen was lead through the exhibits, slowly calming down and enjoying himself. When they got to the turtle room, Owen grabbed his hand and tugged him along as he tried to find all the turtles. Will was shocked. They spent the rest of the day together, after the museum they went home and laughed over grilled cheese and The Lion King. The perfect day ended with Owen shyly requesting a story. Unfortunately, Will was not good at reading stories. He made up for it by singing a song in Gaelic. Owen was out before the last verse. He kissed Owen on the forehead before heading to bed himself.

And now he was here, driving into work alone, not even getting a good morning text from Natalie. He saw her get out of her car and walk inside, not even sparing him a glance. Goodwin glared at him once he walked in. Seriously? I did what you told me to and I still ended up in the dog house!

Will was grumpy all day, he missed Natalie and Owen. It had become a tradition to sing Owen to sleep and he really missed it. Will could acknowledge that he should have told her. He’d been subpoenaed into going along with everything. He didn’t want to do it, he knew how dangerous the Burke family was, he knew that they would not hesitate to go after Natalie and Owen. Or him, but that wasn’t his main concern if he was being honest. Natalie and Owen, God, they had become his whole world. Bile rose in his throat and tears painfully prickled his eyes as he thought about losing them.

She was alone in the doctor’s lounge. Her hair was mussed after running around all shift, her eyebrows were pinched together, and she looked like her limbs were being weighed down by cinderblocks. “Can we talk? After shift? Please?”

“Okay, Will.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

They sat across from each other awkwardly. The tightness in his chest only got worse and Will could feel his heart fragmenting into microscopic pieces. “I’m sorry. I should have told you what was going on much sooner. I... I don’t quite know how to explain what I was thinking. I didn’t even want to be doing it, the feds subpoenaed me, and I grew up a few blocks away from these guys, I know how they work. They’re dangerous men. And if they wanted to hurt me, they wouldn’t lay a finger on me... They’d hurt you and Owen. And somehow keeping you in the dark, it just- It made it a little easier to pretend that wasn’t a stake. That if you didn’t know, they wouldn’t touch you. It was wrong. I was wrong. You and Owen mean everything to me Nat, I can’t- I can’t lose you. I love you” 

“I love you too. But Will, do you not trust me? Why didn’t you just tell me? I’m your fiance, how can you love me and want to spend your life with me if you couldn’t tell me this huge secret?”

“I thought I was keeping you safe.”

“Tell me everything, Will.”

“Okay.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So Natalie hadn’t left him. And he was forever thankful. Owen had probably been the most excited that Will and Natalie were back on good footing. His first day back Owen ran into his arms and wouldn’t let go so Will had to eat his pancakes with a small child curled up in his lap. The day had ended pretty similarly, too. They didn’t even get halfway through the movie before, nestled in Will’s lap again, Owen was sound asleep. Despite their troubles, neither Will or Nat could pretend that they didn’t feel wholly and utterly content.

Their peace and progress in couple’s counselling was interrupted two months later when Burke needed to be admitted to the hospital. It called more than his undercover skills into question. His ethics, and his doctoral oath. It didn’t matter what Will thought was right or not, when he became a doctor he took an oath to treat people, and if he didn’t bring Burke in he’d be violating his oath which was a serious legal document, regardless of whether the feds tried to give him a pass or not. Will was caught a bullet and two dreadful bodybags. The feds were close but not close enough. Will asked Ingrid, his ‘handler’, to meet with him and Natalie. Ingrid was not happy that he’d told Natalie, but Will just scoffed and told her to shove it. 

“Look, Will’s right. He has to take Burke to the hospital-”

“Oh get off your high horse Ms. Manning, this is a serious-”

“Okay, first of all, it’s Dr. Manning, and second of all, do not. Interrupt. Me. Ever. Again. Third, both Will and I, as doctors, have a legal obligation give proper medical attention to everyone and anyone. You or your boss, or any other federal agent can’t tell Will just not to do it, because Will is liable for Burke’s health.”

“I’ve already called him to come down to MED. This meeting wasn’t to ask for your permission, it was to inform you of what’s going to happen.”


	2. You're An Idiot Part 2

After their little... ‘meet and greet’ Ingrid called her partner, who called their boss, and they hurried their asses up. They got warrants to plant bugs in all of the Burke residences. Every friend, acquaintance, and family member, including and a cousin twice removed who called Tim Burke too much to leave him out of it. And since they’d used Will’s information to get a warrant to get more information, they decided that he wasn’t particularly useful. Put him on even more of an information diet than he was already on. 

Ingrid and two grumpy men, one young and annoyed, the other old and surly, sat across from the couple. Glaring at both of them as they had Nat and Will signed NDA’s. 

“You two might get subpoenaed if this case ever goes to court. You know, given that you didn’t follow my express orders.”

“You know what Ingrid? I don’t really care. I did not want to be doing this in the first place. It put myself and my family at risk. You forced me to do it. And another thing, because of the info I gave you, you got access to all their houses, electronics, and bank accounts. And isn’t that worth much more in court than witness testimony?”

Silence.

“Is that all you need us to sign?”

“Yes, you two can go now.”

“Uh, this conference room is in our hospital. Our place of work. You don’t get to dismiss us.”

“Wow, Halstead, you have some nerve-”

“Enough. I said ‘no’, I said that I didn’t want to do it. You forced me to put my fiance and my son in danger. My family. You have no idea of the damage you’ve caused in the three of us. You don’t get to talk to us about ‘nerve’.” Will stared all three agents down. 

They were met with curious gazes and obvious whispers from the hospital staff as the feds slunk out the ED doors. “Hey, guys, are you okay?”

“We are now, Maggie. We are now.” Natalie held his hand and kissed his cheek. Things were still fractured between them, things still needed fixing, but Will could feel their bond strengthening as he revelled in the loving gaze Natalie was blessing him with. “I love you Nat. You and Owen. So, so much.”

“We love you too.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the first time in four months Will and Natalie heard from Agent Ingrid. They were rounding up the Burke’s, but they lost Tim. He was on the loose and he knew that Will was involved. They didn’t know who did it, but info had been leaked to the Burke’s just before the arrests were made and Tim was the only one to move fast enough and get away.

“Helen just galled from the interstate, there were no troubles getting Owen out of preschool and she doesn’t think they’re being followed. She says that she’ll be at the safe house Jay got us in an hour and a half.”

“Good, now we really need to get going.” But their car didn’t make it out of the parking lot, just their parking spot before they were T-boned by a black Mercedes. Will was too distraught and preoccupied with an unconscious and bleeding Natalie to watch the hulking figure stomp over to his side of the vehicle. “Natalie, can you hear me? Wake up! Nat, please I-”

“Hey Halstead.”

Crack.

Nothingness.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Will woke up his head was throbbing and he could hear the blood pulsing through his body. His esophagus had been replaced with sandpaper, and his lips were painfully chapped. “Well look who’s finally awake.”

“Eurgh...”

A fistful of Hair was painfully grabbed from the back of his head. “Hey! I am talking to you. You snitch. You piece of shit! My family, my friends are all rotting in cells because you sold us out to the feds! Our bank accounts are frozen, my picture is on the FBI’s most-wanted list, I have been put on the no-fly list, and my family’s legacy is down the drain. All thanks to you. Y’know I have lost everything because of you, maybe it’s time you lose something because of me.” The words rattled Will’s muddled and confused brain, but he absorbed them. He understood them. Just like he understood Tim moving towards Natalie’s crumpled, unconscious form in the corner of the room and moving to lie over top of her.

Will’s vision went red, his chest constricted, and every molecule in his body was infused with unhinged, violent, fury. With adrenaline pulsing throughout his body Will backed the wooden chair he was tied to into the wall so hard it splintered into tiny pieces and was looming over Tim Burke before he could look away from where he had his fat, sweaty, grimy hands squeezing Natalie’s neck. Will grabbed Tim by a chunky arm and a roll of fat and slammed him on the ground away from Natalie. He wasted no time in bashing his fists into Burke’s face, arms when he tried to defend himself from the onslaught, and his chest. Will didn’t stop when he heard cracks and snaps coming from the other man’s body, nor did he stop when blood that wasn’t his sprayed onto his face and body. Will only stopped when he heard his name called by a soft voice he recognized in a millisecond. “Nat?”

“Will- Wh-ere- hugh-”

“Hey, hey, don’t talk. Your head- I should’ve checked you first- oh God- but the bleeding stopped. It stopped, how do you feel?”

“Like I was thrown off a horse.”

“As long as you don’t feel like you’re on death’s door.”

“And you’re okay, oh my- what happened Will?!”

“Don’t worry, none of it’s my blood. Here, I’ll look around for a phone.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Will was okay for the most part, Natalie was the one who needed to be hospitalized. A brain bleed from the car accident and infection from the infested basement they were taken to kept her in the OR and out of his arms for several hours. Helen and Owen were still at the safe house, just to make sure the coast was clear, but Jay promised him they were fine as he waited silently by his brother’s side. “She’s gonna be fine, Will. She’s strong, able to handle more than most people could even think of bearing.”

“And how would you know that?”

“Well she’s engaged to you isn’t she?” And for the first time in 24 hours Will cracked, an albeit teary, smile.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Will, did you really pummel Tim Burke into a pulp for me?”

“Nat, for you and Owen, I’d do anything. Is tusa beirt mo theaghlach, mo shaol.” (You two are my family, my world)


End file.
